Night Swimming
by mirrorOfsin
Summary: Arthur/Morgana. Someone decides to go night swimming and unknown to her someone decides to follow her. Fluffy sort of. Please review! x


Night Swimming 

The shadow moved a few feet forward then stopped and hid in the darkness again. Arthur watched closely before following it, taking care to hide himself from the moonlight that would betray him. He made out just enough to see that it was a boy, well most probably a boy as girls didn't sulk around like that and that the body showed no strong bulky muscles of a knight so Arthur placed him as either a squire or servant.

Well, whoever _he_ was he certainly didn't want anyone to see him and this merely made Arthur's curiosity stronger to find out who he was and where he was going. Men who didn't want to be seen where obviously up to something and most of the time it wasn't for a good thing, Arthur concluded.

The boy scurried along keeping close to the stone wall and darted out when the guards weren't looking. With him, Arthur could see him holding a bag, probably stolen goods, Arthur thought to himself. He followed him out of the castle, careful to keep a distance so that the boy wouldn't suspect anything. The boy was leading Arthur into the forest and not knowing what he might come across in there; Arthur slowly drew out his sword. The moon was the only source of light and under some of the dark canopies Arthur had to rely of every other sense but his eyes to help him. At least he could take comfort in the fact that the boy couldn't see too well either as there was the continuous sound of rustling and stumbling from a head, along with some muttering which Arthur took to be oaths.

Soon the path he was following cleared and Arthur hesitantly came out of the bushes and stood still for a moment. There was a rustling to his right and he swung around with his sword wildly just as the person he had been following jumped out and onto him. They wrestled on the ground; his sword lay discarded a few feet away and whoever it was was struggling to keep Arthur pinned down. Arthur tried to grab their wrists, a knee winded him and he let go briefly dislodging the person above him. Their hood fell back and the moonlight illuminated their face. Arthur stopped struggling immediately as he stared up in shock.

"Morgana?!"

She blinked down at him tilting her head to the right, "Arthur?"

"What the hell is going on?" he tried to get up but she was firmly secure in sitting straddled across his chest. Half her face was in the light, the other half in darkness like a harlequin mask. Her hair was all roped up messily like she had done it in a rush and she had a smudge of dirt on her left cheek.

"Why are you here?" she asked instead still not moving from her position on top of him.

"I could ask the same," he replied gruffly. "Get off!"

Only then she seemed to realise what she was sitting on. A wicked grin appeared on her face. "Remember last time I managed to pin you down?"

"Too well," he muttered darkly.

"Well that's what you get for calling me fat," she replied airily and Arthur was sure that she deliberately forced herself down trying to maker herself heavier.

"Ouch, that was years ago!"

"Still… a girl doesn't forget."

"It was a joke! And I apologised!"

She smiled innocently, "Only because Uther made you."

"You know you weren't fat," he protested.

"But still it wasn't nice," she told him.

"You said I couldn't fight because I was too short!"

"But you were!"

They glared at each other but Arthur could see a smile flirting at the corner of her lips, she wasn't angry just playing with him.

"Get off," he said again trying to push her off but she didn't relented.

"_Please_ Arthur," Morgana chided him like a small child.

Arthur gritted his teeth, "_Please_ Morgana get off."

She acquiesced graciously and he sat up slowly. She wandered over to the bank edge and looked out across the moonlit water. She sighed and shrugged the cloak off her shoulders and neatly piled it up a dry bit of grass. He frowned at her actions, what was she doing?

"I'm asking you again Morgana what are you doing?"

"What do you think Arthur? I'm going swimming."

"Swimming…" he repeated slowly. "What?"

She sighed irately. "I come here to swim sometimes."

"At night?"

"When else? It's much better than in the day plus I get to be by myself."

He was astonished, "How long have you been doing this?"

She shrugged, "Three years?"

He stared and she turned her back to him, sat down and tugged off her boots. He took in her appearance in the semidarkness and frowned…that shirt...

"Is that my shirt?" he suddenly demanded and she held it in case he was going to try and take it from her,

"Merlin was going to throw it out; it would have been a waste. I ruined my other one."

"Whose are those trousers?"

"Your old squires," she admitted ruefully.

"The ones we couldn't find?"

"Yes."

Oh he wanted to kill her – those trousers had gone missing and they all thought that someone had stolen them. Well someone had but it certainly hadn't entered Arthur's mind that it was Morgana. They had spent ages looking for them and claiming that there was a thief amongst them.

"I was going to return them but it was too late," she bit her lip.

He rubbed his hand other his face, "What else have you stolen?"

"Nothing!" she protested. "Anyway it's not like they were really needed."

He came over to where she was sitting. "Do you always come alone?"

"Yes, that's half the charm," she replied looking back out over the water.

"But it's dark and you have no idea who's out here, it's not safe."

"I can protect myself Arthur," she opened the small sack with her and pulled out a dagger in its sheath. "See."

"And what if you can't?"

She sighed dramatically rolling her eyes, "Arthur don't nag."

"Sorry for caring about your safety," he replied hotly and for a moment Morgana felt touched.

"Really, I'm fine," she stood up. "Do you mind turning around whilst I change?"

"We're not staying."

She scowled then, "Arthur I want my night swim, now if you want to go you can go but I'm staying."

"I can't just leave you."

"Well," she smiled faintly. "You have two options as I see it. One you can go back and get the guards and Uther and _make_ me come back with you or option two you can join me."

"Join you?"

"Yes. See how amazing it is to bathe in moonlight."

Arthur was silent and she watched him way up the pros and cons of both. When he came up with a decision he glanced at her the back to the water, "How deep is it?"

She tried not to smile too triumphantly. "I don't go that far but it isn't too deep."

"What are you erm, wearing?" he asked a little awkwardly.

"I've got a shift on," she said and felt her face flush. Thank goodness it was dark and he couldn't see.

"Great," he muttered and then turned his back to her. "Tell me when you're decent."

"I will," she said and he could hear the laughter in her voice.

"This is madness," he muttered under his breath but there was an excitement in him that he hadn't felt since he was a boy. The last time he had felt this wild and reckless was with her. She had convinced him that it would be fun to watch the sunrise one day in the valley outside of castle. He had refused at first but then had ridden out with her late that night before dawn. He had felt free then, no one telling him that that wasn't the way a prince behaved and he had been able to enjoy freedom without stone walls, courtiers or his father.

The rustling stopped behind him indicating to him that she was ready but he still waited for her conformation.

Morgana eyed him standing so still and tense. She was glad that he was staying with her; she couldn't think of anyone she'd rather share the magical place with than him.

"You can turn round once I'm in," she told him and he nodded. She didn't want him to see her so unclothed feeling oddly awkward at the thought. She carefully put her feet in then slowly walked into the lake, the water was cool and at first made her shiver but as she gradually got in deep and it covered her up to her shoulders she felt better.

"Arthur," she called to him and he carefully turned around. He saw her and something about the way she appeared made her seem ethereal and like so many times before she took his breath away. He came to the edge and began to undress, glancing to her. She had turned her back to him and he stripped off his shirt, trousers and shoes placing them by hers and collected his sword. He left on the under garments and got into the water quickly, his skin goose pimpled but after some fast strokes in the water he got warmer. They trod water facing each other and both smiled slightly, her shift swirled under the water like a white cloud.

"Isn't it magical?" she said leaning back so her feet came up out of the water. He swam around her, twisting from his back to his front. He agreed completely with her, there was something pagan about this and there was that sense that doing this with her was something implicit between them. Then again he found that she was the only one that _really_ understood him and knew him. It made him both nervous and thankful that she knew what he was feeling just by looking at him. It meant that explanations weren't need between them.

Her heart was thudding in her chest and she tried to remain unaffected by the sight of him in the water. She didn't know when exactly she began to notice him as anything but a brother but now she was continuously aware. Unfortunately for her she wasn't the only one that noticed he was no longer a boy. It annoyed her if she ever heard one of the ladies at court whisper about him with such longing because she too had a longing for him. Even though she tried to ignore it.

He broke her train of thought with a question and she averted her eyes from him and gazed at the full moon.

"I tend to come back before dawn but I don't know how long I spend here," she skimmed the top of the water with her fingers making ripples that expanded and crashed into one another.

"And you've never been caught?"

"No," she shook her head then smiled. "Until now."

Arthur looked at the moon then back to her, she was still enchanted with the pale light whilst he was enchanted by her. Morgana was so beautiful that sometimes he could hardly believe that when they were younger he thought her looks as verging on plain. All of his knights had foolish hopes of gaining her favour and whilst he told them that she had no interest in that they still tried to impress her. He found that he could hardly take anyone flirting with her or capturing her attention. He'd deny it of course if anyone like Merlin asked but to himself he couldn't lie.

"Don't you feel somehow connected to everything?" she asked moving again in the water drifting near to him.

"Yes it's…nice."

"Nice?" she echoed then laughed. "Is that the best you can come up with Arthur, nice?"

He frowned trying to remember what she asked, "Yes it's nice."

She rolled her eyes and lightly flicked water at him catching his neck. He immediately reacted like when they were children and splashed her back but with more power. She spluttered as the water hit her full in the face and set out on revenge. Soon they were both thrashing and splashing in the water, aiming and dodging gasping for breaths in between.

"Damnit Morgana," he half laughed half spluttered as she pushed his head under.

She grinned at him then felt his hands encircle her waist and before she could shriek her protest he dunked her fully under for a split second before raising her up in his arms.

"You prat!" She spluttered trying to sound angry but failing as she laughed. Arthur loved hearing that sound, there was something so charming about it. It was then that he realised that his arms were still wrapped around her waist and her face inches from his own. She blinked then smiled a little slowly resting her arms about his shoulders.

He swallowed slightly and with one hand carefully brushed some of her wet hair from her face, lightly tracing her jaw then lips. They both leaned, lips brushed for a second before settling more firmly and his arms pulled her closer. With little persuasion needed, her mouth opened under his making it deeper, more passionate.

Never had she thought that kisses could be so exciting, especially ones from him but his left her breathless and unable to think of anything but to be closer. Breaking apart she rested her forehead against his and kept her eyes closed even though she knew he was staring at her. Finally she looked at him and he could see she had made a decision of some sorts.

"Kiss me again," she whispered lips hovering over his.

Arthur cupped her face and did just that enjoying the taste of her, the feel of her body pressing against his. He had wondered often what it would be like and now it was better than any fantasy could ever hope to achieve.

They floated together for a short while, she didn't directly look at him but she smiled faintly. Eventually he suggested that they should go and she nodded swimming towards the bank. He got out first quickly shrugging on his clothes hardly caring that they would be soaking wet.

"There is a towel…" she said but he just shrugged then turned away so she could get out. He heard her move around and guessing by how quickly she told him to turn around again she hadn't taken time in drying herself properly. She picked up the small bag she had when he came and took it from her hands and she blinked as he swung it up over his shoulder to carry it.

"Thank you," she murmured then smiled puckishly. "Kissing you seems to make you quite chivalrous… I should do it more often."

"I'm always chivalrous," he said with a slight flush of embarrassment then added, "But perhaps you should do that…just in case."

He was pleased that she squirmed and nudged him for that. But he was quite serious about kissing her again something about her made him want to just forget manners and let primitive passion take over. He also couldn't help but feel that she wouldn't mind as she was rather reckless and acted on instinct most often.

He was staring at her motionless and whilst she was sure he wasn't really staring at _her_ his thoughts were about her – or at least their kiss. After all that was what she was thinking about.

"Arthur?"

"What?" he asked snapping out of whatever thought he was following. He rubbed his face and then sighed indicating that they should start to walk back. She fell into an easy pace beside him and unconsciously he reached out and held her hand. She held back a smile, keeping her eyes ahead instead oh his face. There was no need to speak and so they didn't, the silence was comforting and allowed them to clear their thoughts.

When the dark shadow of Camelot's castle appeared they slowed down and carefully dodged past the guards, slipping into an empty dark corridor near the kitchens. They glanced at each other and she resisted the temptation to laugh like a naughty child and he rolled his eyes with grin. Still with the fear of being caught they made their way in the dark to Morgana's room where they were able to relax and as he looked around as she lit three candles.

"You can just leave the bag there," she told him and with her head indicated the space. He dropped it down and then scratched his head waiting for her to say something else.

"Well I guess this is goodnight," Morgana smiled coming up near to him and he gave a swift nod.

"Yes, good night," he replied as he opened her door again. "Oh and Morgana?"

She glanced up into his eyes and saw amusement there.

"Tell me, next time you want a swim."

"Why?"

"So I can join," he smiled and she leaned in brushing her lips over his cheek.

"Goodnight Arthur."

He smiled and closed the door tightly behind him leaving her still smiling and shaking her head as she crawled into bed and blew out the candle by her bed.

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A/N: Please review and tell me what you think! With the new series neglecting them fandom is the only way to keep them alive!


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